Table 2: Foreign nationals held under immigration powers after completion of sentence, by establishment at 5 July 2010

Number

Altcourse

7

Ashfield

1

Ashwell

1

Aylesbury

1

Bedford

11

Belmarsh

6

Birmingham

34

Blundeston

6

Brinsford

3

Bristol

8

Brixton

15

Bronzefield

5

Bullingdon

4

Bullwood Hall

19

Bure

1

Camp Hill

3

Canterbury

4

Cardiff

5

Castington

1

Chelmsford

14

Coldingley

2

Dartmoor

5

Deerbolt

1

Doncaster

8

Dorchester

1

Dovegate

9

Downview

2

Drake Hall

3

Durham

11

26 Oct 2010 : Column 227W

Eastwood Park

2

Edmunds Hill

8

Elmley

16

Everthorpe

1

Exeter

3

Featherstone

2

Feltham

4

Frankland

1

Garth

1

Glen Parva

7

Guys Marsh

9

Hewell

2

Hewell Grange

19

Highdown

22

Highpoint

4

Highpoint South

8

Holloway

6

Holme House

6

Hull

5

Lancaster Farms

2

Leeds

3

Leicester

6

Lewes

6

Lincoln

4

Lindholme

6

Littlehey

9

Liverpool

16

Long Lartin

4

Maidstone

8

Manchester

5

Moorland

1

Morton Hall

7

Mount

9

New Hall

1

Norwich

11

Nottingham

12

Onley

5

Parc

3

Pentonville

10

Peterborough

10

Portland

4

Preston

4

Ranby

5

Reading

2

Risley

12

Rochester

10

Stafford

6

Stocken

2

Styal

4

Swansea

1

Swinfen Hall

2

Usk

1

Verne

2

Wandsworth

32

Warren Hill

2

Wellingborough

3

Whatton

4

Winchester

2

Woodhill

9

Wormwood Scrubs

16

Wymott

3

Grand total

581

26 Oct 2010 : Column 228W

Table 3: Foreign national prisoner population by nationality, EU and non-EU at 30 June 2010

Number

EU

3,342

Non-EU

7,793

EU

Austria

15

Belgium

32

Bulgaria

43

Cyprus

28

Czech Republic

83

Denmark

9

Estonia

32

Finland

3

France

149

Germany

94

Greece

15

Hungary

47

Irish Republic

681

Italy

94

Latvia

150

Lithuania

361

Malta

3

Netherlands

119

Poland

642

Portugal

209

Romania

380

Slovakia

65

Slovenia

4

Spain

66

Sweden

18

Non EU

Afghanistan

138

Albania

154

Algeria

175

Angola

74

Anguilla

2

Argentina

7

Armenia

9

Aruba

1

Australia

25

Azerbaijan

4

Bahamas

1

Bangladesh

216

Barbados

39

Belize

1

Benin

2

Bermuda

2

Bolivia

5

Bosnia and Herzegovina

18

Botswana

3

Brazil

65

Burundi

11

Cambodia

1

Cameroon

30

Canada

33

Central African Republic

23

Chile

8

China

364

Colombia

75

Congo

138

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

1

Costa Rica

5

26 Oct 2010 : Column 229W

Croatia

7

Cuba

4

Dominica

15

Ecuador

7

Egypt

20

Equatorial Guinea

1

Ethiopia

59

Fiji

6

French Guiana

3

Gabon

1

Gambia

58

Georgia

9

Ghana

141

Gibraltar

4

Grenada

17

Guatemala

3

Guinea

11

Guinea-Bissau

1

Guyana

34

Haiti

1

India

329

Indonesia

1

Iran

197

Iraq

234

Israel

43

Ivory Coast

31

Jamaica

942

Japan

1

Jordan

4

Kazakhstan

2

Kenya

62

Kiribati

1

Korea, DPR (North Korea)

2

Korea, Republic of

7

Kuwait

9

Kyrgyzstan

1

Lebanon

16

Liberia

26

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

24

Macedonia

6

Malawi

17

Malaysia

39

Mali

2

Mauritania

5

Mauritius

18

Mexico

21

Moldova

18

Monaco

1

Mongolia

5

Montserrat

17

Morocco

58

Mozambique

4

Myanmar

3

Namibia

7

Nepal

10

Netherlands Antilles

7

New Zealand

5

Nicaragua

1

Niger

12

Nigeria

727

Norway

7

Oman

1

Other

1

26 Oct 2010 : Column 230W

Pakistan

440

Panama

1

Paraguay

2

Peru

5

Philippines

24

Qatar

1

Russian Federation

108

Rwanda

20

Samoa

1

San Marino

1

Saudi Arabia

12

Senegal

5

Serbia and Montenegro

28

Seychelles

4

Sierra Leone

72

Singapore

6

Somalia

433

South Africa

137

Sri Lanka

139

St Kitts and Nevis

3

St Lucia

30

St Vincent and the Grenadines

16

Sudan

41

Suriname

2

Swaziland

1

Switzerland

5

Syrian Arab Republic

11

Taiwan (Nationalist Chinese)

5

Tanzania

27

Thailand

10

Togo

7

Tonga

1

Trinidad and Tobago

56

Tunisia

19

Turkey

167

Turkmenistan

1

Uganda

67

United Arab Emirates

1

United States

90

Uruguay

1

Uzbekistan

9

Venezuela

18

Vietnam

596

Yemen, Republic of

10

Zambia

15

Zimbabwe

189

Prisoners: Islam

Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of prison inmates who have converted to Islam while in prison in each of the last three years. [19396]

Mr Blunt:
Information on the number of prisoners who have converted to Islam while in prison is not held centrally. The data held centrally, as recorded on the prison IT system, only include information on prisoners' current declared religion, not any previously declared religion. Therefore, it is not possible to identify how many prisoners have changed their religion while in prison.

26 Oct 2010 : Column 231W

Prisoners: Mobile Phones

Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of his proposal to issue mobile telephones to prisoners to be released to bail accommodation. [19399]

Mr Blunt:
I understand the hon. Member is referring to the contract with Stonham, to provide private rented accommodation and support to those on bail and Home Detention Curfew who do not otherwise have an address to be released to. This is a fixed price contract. Stonham provide basic mobile telephones only to service users who do not have one so that contact can be maintained between an individual and their support officer. Stonham advise the phones cost them £7.49.

Prisoners: Telephones

Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have telephones installed in their cells. [19401]

Mr Blunt:
As at 22 October, 1,152 prisoners had access to telephones in their cells.

HM Prisons Lowdham Grange and Dovegate are the only two sites which provide prisoners with in-cell telephones. At Dovegate this provision is restricted to one houseblock. Both establishments are managed by the private sector. In-cell telephones offer the same level of security to those systems which are located in communal areas. Where appropriate calls can be recorded and monitored in line with existing policies.

Prisoners: Uniforms

Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information the Prison Service holds on the number of prisoners who refused to wear (a) boiler suits and (b) other prison uniforms issued by the Prison Service in the latest period for which figures are available. [19483]

Mr Blunt:
Refusal by prisoners to wear boiler suits or other prison uniforms is dealt with as a local disciplinary matter. Records do not distinguish between such cases and other instances of refusal to comply with orders or 26 Oct 2010 : Column 232W
rules. This could be established only by examining the actual records of each disciplinary hearing manually at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Drugs

Mrs Grant:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on drug addiction services in prisons. [19701]

Mr Blunt:
I have had discussions with Ministers in a number of Departments including the Department of Health, Home Office and the Cabinet Office. These have covered a range of drugs related topics, including reforming drug addiction services in prisons.

Prisons: Personnel

Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Prison Service records the time taken by (a) prison officers and (b) other prison staff in collecting fresh clothing for inmates; and if he will make a statement. [19484]

Mr Blunt:
The National Offender Management Service does not record this information. The arrangements for issuing freshly laundered clothing to prisoners, and the extent to which staff are involved, vary between prisons according to security factors and the layout of the establishment.

Prisons: Wales

Simon Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) community sentences, (b) fines, (c) custodial sentences and (d) cautions were imposed for convictions involving drug dealing for each illegal drug in each of the last three years. [19126]

Mr Blunt:
The number of persons sentenced to community sentences, fines, immediate custody, other disposals and the total persons sentenced for drug dealing offences, as recorded on the courts proceedings database, in the last three years for which data are available is given in Table 1 as follows.

Table 2 refers to the number of offenders cautioned for drug dealing offences, in the last three years.

Drug dealing offences include: Supply or offering to supply a controlled drug or possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply.

(1) Includes offences covering "Possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply" and "Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug".(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.(4) In 2004 cannabis was reclassified from a Class B to a Class C drug. In 2009 cannabis was reclassified to a Class B drug. Cannabis data are shown separately in this table and are not also included in the relevant year's Class B or Class C data.

(1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.(2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These are included in the totals.(3) Includes offences covering "Possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply" and "Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug".(4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.(5) In 2004 cannabis was reclassified from a Class B to a Class C drug. In 2009 cannabis was reclassified to a Class B drug. Cannabis data are shown separately in this table and are not also included in the relevant year's Class B or Class C data. Source:
Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Prosecutions: Northamptonshire

Mr Hollobone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women whose last known address was in (i) Kettering borough, (ii) Northamptonshire and (iii) England and Wales were (A) prosecuted, (B) convicted and (C) given a custodial sentence for offences related to non-payment of their television licence fee. [19677]

Mr Blunt:
The number of males and females proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts in the Kettering Local Justice Area, the Northamptonshire police force area and England and Wales in 2009 (latest available) for offences under section 363 of the Communications Act 2003 can be viewed in the table.

Figures are for the court in which a defendant was proceeded against as data held on the Court Proceedings Database held by the Ministry of Justice do not identify a defendant's address.

A person cannot be sentenced to a custodial sentence if convicted of an offence under section 363 of the Communications Act 2003. The maximum penalty for not having a valid TV Licence is a £1,000 fine. The court may also order the convicted person to pay for TV Licensing's costs in the proceedings. A person could be sentenced to immediate custody if they refused to pay the fine but not for TV licence evasion.

Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for television licence evasion( 1) , by sex, Kettering Local Justice Area, Northamptonshire police force area and England and Wales, 2009( 2,3)

Area

Proceeded against

Found guilty

England and Wales

Males

54,706

47,398

Females

111,778

101,099

Persons(4)

166,834

148,780

Of which:

Northamptonshire police force area

Males

617

543

Females

1,205

1,120

Persons(4)

1,823

1,663

Of which:

Kettering Local Justice Area

Males

81

73

Females

119

113

26 Oct 2010 : Column 237W

Persons(4)

200

186

(1) Includes offences under the Communications Act 2003, section 363.(2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.(4) Following the introduction of the Libra case management system during 2008, offenders at magistrates courts can now be recorded as sex 'Not stated'. These data have been included in the persons only totals. Therefore, the males and females age group totals and sub-totals may not agree with the totals given under persons. Source:
Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Sentencing

Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what proportion of those enrolled on Intensive Alternatives to Custody schemes left a scheme as a result of breaching its conditions in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of such persons received custodial sentences as a consequence; [19394]

(2) what proportion of those enrolled on Intensive Alternative to Custody schemes in the latest period for which figures are available had previously served custodial sentences; [19395]

(3) what actions constitute a breach of the conditions of the Intensive Alternative to Custody Scheme. [19398]

Mr Blunt:
At the end of August 2010, a total of 1,501 IAC orders had been imposed since the IAC pilots began in 2008. Of these 1,501 orders, 29.7% (446) have been terminated and the offender re-sentenced. Of those re-sentenced the vast majority, 72% (319), received immediate custodial sentences, with 8% (37) receiving suspended sentences. The remainder have been given or are awaiting another disposal.

Figures for the number of breaches which result in termination of an IAC order and the re-sentencing of an offender are not collected separately. Therefore the figures above also include offenders who have had their order terminated because they have been sentenced for an additional offence committed prior to or following the start of their IAC order. Some of these offenders will therefore have had their IAC order terminated even though they had complied with its conditions.

Information is not collected centrally on previous court disposals for offenders sentenced to an IAC.

IAC orders are imposed using existing legislation and are subject to the same National Standards as all other community orders. If an offender fails to comply twice without providing acceptable evidence they will be in breach within 10 days and returned to court where their IAC order may be revoked and a custodial sentence imposed. Alternatively the court may make the IAC order more onerous to mark the seriousness of the breach.

26 Oct 2010 : Column 238W

Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to extend to all criminal offences his right to appeal against unduly lenient sentences. [19397]

Mr Blunt:
The powers for the Attorney-General (and the Solicitor-General) to refer a Crown court sentence to the Court of Appeal on the grounds of undue leniency are working well. It has been the practice of successive Governments to deal with any proposals to add individual either way offences to the scheme on their own merits. The coalition Government currently have no plans to apply the scheme to all offences.

Sentencing: Transgender

Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will issue guidance to (a) magistrates and (b) judges on the issuing of custodial sentences to (i) transgender people and (ii) people with disabilities. [19492]

Mr Blunt:
The courts are independent and cannot be instructed on sentencing by Ministers. Sentencing guidelines are issued by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. We do of course provide information to ensure that magistrates and judges are informed about the services that are provided by the National Offender Management Service and the Youth Justice Board. Information on the arrangements for meeting the needs of transgender people and people with disabilities in custody will be issued to sentencers.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Peter Bottomley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to implement the Government's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities set out in (a) Article 12 on equal recognition before the law, (b) Article 13 on access to justice, (c) Article 14 on liberty and security of the person, (d) Article 21 on freedom of expression and opinion and access to information and (e) Article 22 on respect for privacy. [17887]

Mr Djanogly:
The Ministry of Justice is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to improving outcomes for disabled people. The UK Government will report to the UN Committee in July 2011 setting out how implementation has been achieved across Government.

A number of measures exist or are being taken forward by MoJ which support various Convention Articles, for example:

The aims and principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which came into force in October 2007, are in line with those of the UN Convention and the Act's measures are supportive of many of the Convention's requirements;

The support provided to disabled people who go to court, e.g. through provision of BSL interpreters, hearing loop systems, Braille signage, visits to court to enable a person to familiarise themselves prior to court hearings, provision of information in alternative formats upon request; special measures to assist certain vulnerable witnesses give evidence in criminal proceedings;

The framework for the management of prisoners with disabilities which aims to ensure that all prisoners, with reasonable adjustment, have access to all aspects of prison life.

Home Department

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Paul Maynard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the outcomes of her Department's study on (a) the links between alcohol pricing and crime, (b) the economic impact of alcohol price interventions on industry and (c) public understanding of and views on alcohol price interventions to be published. [19456]

James Brokenshire:
We are aiming to publish all three reports as part of the Government's review of alcohol pricing and taxation later this year.

Animal Welfare

Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure that personnel working with animals in establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are trained and competent following the transposition into domestic law of the EU Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes; and if she will make a statement. [18797]

Lynne Featherstone:
The Council of the European Union adopted a revised text as its first reading position in June 2010. The European Parliament approved the Council's first reading position on 8 September 2010. This brought negotiation of the new European Union directive to an end. The final text will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union shortly and will enter into force 20 days later. Member states will have two years to transpose its provisions into national legislation which must be implemented from 1 January 2013.

I am not yet in a position to comment on the arrangements for the training and competence of personnel working with animals in establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 following the transposition of the EU directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes into domestic law. A detailed assessment of the provisions of the new directive is under way and will in due course be included in a public consultation on options for transposition.

Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effects on the level of protection given to pre-hatch birds used in experimental procedures the transposition into domestic law of the EU directive on the protection of animals used in scientific procedures will have. [18798]

Lynne Featherstone:
The Council of the European Union adopted a revised text as its first reading position in June 2010. The European Parliament approved the Council's first reading position on 8 September 2010. 26 Oct 2010 : Column 240W
This brought negotiation of the new European Union directive to an end. The final text will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union shortly and will enter into force 20 days later. Member states will have two years to transpose its provisions into national legislation which must be implemented from 1 January 2013.

I am not yet in a position to comment whether there will be any changes to the protection given to pre-hatch birds used in experimental procedures resulting from the transposition of the EU directive on the protection of animals used in scientific procedures into United Kingdom legislation. A detailed assessment of the provisions of the new directive is under way and will in due course be included in a public consultation on options for transposition.

Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many procedures have been licensed which were deemed likely to cause severe pain or distress to animals that could not be alleviated in each of the last three years. [18799]

Lynne Featherstone:
At no time have procedures been licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 which were deemed likely to cause severe pain or distress to animals that cannot be alleviated. This is not permissible under the 1986 Act.

Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she intends to transpose into domestic law the derogation within the EU directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes allowing the use of procedures involving severe pain, suffering or distress to animals that is likely to be long-lasting and cannot be ameliorated. [18800]

Lynne Featherstone:
The Council of the European Union adopted a revised text as its first reading position in June 2010. The European Parliament approved the Council's first reading position on 8 September 2010. This brought negotiation of the new European Union directive to an end. The final text will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union shortly and will enter into force 20 days later. Member states will have two years to transpose its provisions into national legislation which must be implemented from 1 January 2013.

I am not yet in a position to comment on the transposition into domestic law of the derogation within the EU directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes allowing the use of procedures involving severe pain, suffering or distress to animals that is likely to be long-lasting and cannot be ameliorated. A detailed assessment of the provisions of the new directive is under way and will in due course be included in a public consultation on options for transposition.

Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inspections of establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were carried out by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate in 2009. [18801]

26 Oct 2010 : Column 241W

Lynne Featherstone:
During 2009 the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate carried out 1,994 visits to establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and of visits specifically to animal units 70% were made without notice.

Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which areas she plans to opt to maintain the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for safeguarding animal welfare where they are more restrictive than those that will be required within the EU Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. [18803]

Lynne Featherstone:
The Council of the European Union adopted a revised text as its first reading position in June 2010. The European Parliament approved the Council's first reading position on 8 September 2010. This brought negotiation of the new European Union directive to an end. The final text will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union shortly and will enter into force 20 days later. Member states will have two years to transpose its provisions into national legislation which must be implemented from 1 January 2013.

I am not yet in a position to comment on plans to maintain the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for safeguarding animal welfare where they are stricter than those that will be required within the EU directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. A detailed assessment of the provisions of the new directive is under way and will in due course be included in a public consultation on options for transposition.

Kerry McCarthy:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications of the implementation on the European Directive on the Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Procedures for the (a) role and (b) future funding of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. [19073]

Lynne Featherstone:
The Council of the European Union adopted a revised text as its first reading position in June 2010. The European Parliament approved the Council's first reading position on 8 September 2010. This brought negotiation of the new European Union directive to an end. The final text will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union shortly and will enter into force 20 days later. Member states will have two years to transpose its provisions into national legislation which must be implemented from 1 January 2013.

I am not yet in a position to comment on the implications of the new directive for the future role and funding of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. A detailed assessment of the provisions of the new directive is under way and will in due course be included in a public consultation on options for transposition.

Borders: Personal Records

Lindsay Roy:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the change in security clearance requirements for personnel working on the e-Borders programme resulted in an extension to the time taken to deliver the programme. [19713]

26 Oct 2010 : Column 242W

Damian Green:
The change in security clearance requirements for personnel from the Service Provider working on the e-Borders Programme did not result in a time extension for the programme.

Citizenship

Mr Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) applied for and (b) were granted UK citizenship in (i) each year since 1997 and (ii) each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available; and how many people of each nationality were granted citizenship in (A) 1997 and (B) the most recent year for which figures are available. [19609]

Damian Green:
Data covering applications for and grants of British citizenship in the United Kingdom for the years 1997 to 2009 were published in supplementary table A of the Home Office statistical bulletin 'British Citizenship Statistics United Kingdom, 2009' while figures for the eight quarters ending quarter 2 2010 were published in table 4.7 of the 'Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom April-June 2010'.

Data for quarter 3 2010 are scheduled for publication on 25 November 2010.

Grants of British citizenship for 1997 and 2009 by the applicants' previous nationality were published in supplementary table C of 'British Citizenship Statistics United Kingdom, 2009'.

Both of these Home Office statistical publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:

Entry Clearances: Employment

Mr Woolas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on implementation of the proposal for a directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third country nationals for the purpose of seasonal employment (COM (2010) 379; Council Doc. 12208/10); and if she will make a statement. [19180]

Damian Green [holding answer 25 October 2010]:The United Kingdom is not opting into this proposal.

Equality Act 2010

Julian Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to assess the effect on small businesses of the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. [18892]

Lynne Featherstone:
The Equality Act 2010 updates and streamlines the equality legislation from the last four decades. It replaces nine different pieces of legislation with a modern and accessible framework, simplifying the law, making it more consistent and therefore reducing the burden on business.

The impact assessment for the Equality Act 2010 examines the effect on business of the various provisions contained in the Act. The effect on small and medium 26 Oct 2010 : Column 243W
enterprises is identified but there has been no separate assessment for small businesses. The impact assessment which was published in April 2010 and is available in the House Library and from the Government Equalities Office website.

Julian Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the cost to small businesses of implementation of the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. [18893]

Lynne Featherstone:
The Equality Act 2010 updates and streamlines the equality legislation from the last four decades. It replaces nine different pieces of legislation with a modern and accessible framework, simplifying the law, making it more consistent and therefore reducing the burden on business.

The impact assessment for the Equality Act 2010 estimates the cost to business of the various provisions contained in the Act. Costs to small and medium enterprises are identified but there has been no separate assessment for small businesses. The impact assessment was published in April 2010 and is available in the House Library and from the Government Equalities Office website.

Julian Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the number of cases expected to be brought against employers arising from the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. [18894]

26 Oct 2010 : Column 244W

Lynne Featherstone:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 19 October 2010, Official Report, column 636W. A copy of the impact assessment for the Equality Act 2010 is available in the Library or the Government Equalities Office website at:

The Equality Act 2010 updates and streamlines the equality legislation that has built up over the last four decades. It replaces nine different pieces of legislation with a modern and accessible framework, simplifying the law, making it easier for people to understand their rights and responsibilities and comply.

Identity and Passport Service

Hugh Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) staff are employed and (b) people were interviewed in the last 12 months at each of the Identity and Passport Service Interview Offices which are (i) proposed to be closed and (ii) expected to remain open. [19612]

Damian Green:
The following table sets out the requested information. Just over 300,000 interviews were carried out in the last 12 months. Of these, 77% were conducted at interview offices which the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) propose to keep open and a further 8% were conducted at offices which IPS propose to replace with mobile interview teams within the same local area.